2019-05-01_Digital_SLR_Photography

war & peace

TATE BRITAINIS HOSTINGTHEWORKOFDONMCCULLIN,ONEOFTHEWORLD’S

GREATEST LIVINGPHOTOGRAPHERS.IT'S ANEXHIBITIONYOUSHOULDN’TMISS

T

ATEBRITAINIS currentlypresentinga

majorretrospectiveofthelegendary

BritishphotographerSir Don

McCullin.Widelyrenownedasoneof

theworld'sgreatestlivingphotographers,

McCullin'scareerhasstretchedseveral

decadesandcoveredconflictsfromaround

theworldincludingVietnam,Northern

Ireland,LebanonandBiafra.These

unforgettablephotographswillbeshown

alongsideMcCullin’sdocumentary

photography,travelassignmentsandhis

long-termengagementwithlandscapesand

still-lifes.Withover 250 photographs,all

printedbySir McCullinhimselfin hisown

darkroom,thisexhibitionoffersa unique

opportunitytoseethescopeand

achievementsofMcCullin’scareer.

DonMcCullin'sloveforphotography

beganin the1950s,whenhedocumented

hissurroundingsandlocalcommunityin his

nativeFinsburyPark,London.In 1958The

Guvnors,a portraitofa notoriouslocalgang,

waspublishedinTheObserver, launchinghis

career as a photojournalist. Working first for

TheObserverandthenTheSundayTimes

Magazine, McCullinwentontocapture

majorconflictsaroundtheworldfrom

VietnamandtheCongotoCyprusand

Beirut.Theexhibitionwillincludesomeof

McCullin’smosticonicphotographs

including:Shell-shockedUS Marine;The

BattleofHue1968;StarvingTwentyFour

YearOldMotherwithChild;Biafra1968;and

NorthernIreland,TheBogside,Londonderry

1971.AlongsideMcCullin’shand-printed

silvergelatinprints,theexhibitionincludes

thephotographer’smagazinespreads,

contactsheets,hishelmetandtheNikon

camerathattooka bulletforhim.

McCullinmaybebestknownforhiswork

asa photojournalistandwarcorrespondent,

buthehasalsoconsistentlyengagedin

documentaryphotographyofBritain,

depictingpovertyandworking-classlifein

London’sEastEndandthenorthofEngland.

Fromthehomelessanddisenfranchised

populationofWhitechapelin the1970sto

theindustriallandscapesofBradford,

Liverpool and Durham, McCullin has

exposedchangingsocialconditionsin the

UK.Thesevaluableworksareshown

alongsideseveralotherphotographstaken

aroundthecountry.

Still-lifesthatexplorelight,composition

andtexture,alongwithlandscapestaken

closetohishomein Somerset,becamea

focusforMcCullinfromthe1980sonwards

and also feature in the exhibition.

20 DigitalSLR PhotographyMa y 2019

©D

ON

MC

CULLIN

Right:Seasidepieronthesouthcoast,Eastbourne,UK, 1970s.

Below:Protester,CubanMissileCrisis,Whitehall,London1962.

Below right:NorthernIreland,TheBogside,Londonderry 1971.